When was Xenocrates of Chalcedon born and when did he die?
Xenocrates of Chalcedon was born around 396 BC and died in 314 BC at the age of 82. He moved to Athens as a young man to study under Aeschines Socraticus before joining Plato's circle.
Questions about Xenocrates
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Xenocrates become head of the Platonic Academy after Speusippus?
Xenocrates succeeded Speusippus as head of the Platonic Academy in 339/8 BC after defeating rivals Menedemus of Pyrrha and Heraclides Ponticus by only a few votes. His leadership spanned from 339/8 BC until 314/3 BC, covering a turbulent period for Athens.
Why did Xenocrates refuse citizenship offered by Phocion in Athens?
Phocion offered him citizenship as thanks for negotiating peace after Athens' failed rebellion but Xenocrates refused this honor because it required accepting a constitution he had fought against. He stated that he did not want to become a citizen within a system he struggled to prevent.
What three grades of cognition did Xenocrates recognize in his philosophy?
Xenocrates recognized three distinct grades of cognition: knowledge, sensation, and opinion. Each mode corresponded to its own region of reality with knowledge applying to pure thought objects outside the phenomenal world.
How many syllables did Xenocrates calculate possible from alphabet letters?
Plutarch documents that Xenocrates attempted calculating the total number of syllables possible from alphabet letters and his result reached 1,002,000,000,000 described as a myriad-and-twenty times a myriad-myriad. This calculation possibly represents the first instance attempting combinatorial problems involving permutations.